


you keep me close when I've been miserable

by hawaiianpizza



Series: the safe space idolverse [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff and Slight Angst, M/M, SeokSoo, brief mentions of anxiety, fear of the dark, idolverse, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawaiianpizza/pseuds/hawaiianpizza
Summary: seokmin may be afraid of the dark and other easy fears, but joshua knows that this was absolutely the bravest boy he had ever met in his entire life.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK
Series: the safe space idolverse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169600
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	you keep me close when I've been miserable

**Author's Note:**

> a lil seoksoo sequel to 'you're my painkiller' bc i may be in love with this idolverse and the idea of late night snuggling while mentally struggling (omg tm??)

"You should really wake him up." Seungkwan's voice is thick, like he's trying to be quiet. Joshua can clearly hear him though, so he's horribly failing at that. 

His roommate, Vernon, is silent for a bit before saying, "He might get mad. He hasn't had any sleep all day, Kwan, and he's only been asleep for half an hour, tops." 

"But you know how he's always awake through these kinds of situations. I think he'd appreciate if you woke him up."

"Well I don't agree with that sentiment."

Joshua has to stifle his giggles, or else the younger members would hear him. He lay in a position with his back turned to them, so that helped a bit. Still, he listened to the conversation for a little longer, really amused at their banter, and how they were getting less and less quiet. Usually, when Vernon and Seungkwan would go at it (all out of love, of course), Vernon would always be either too tired to argue, or he'd lose. It was very rare that Seungkwan would be on the receiving end. 

Joshua doesn't say it, but he knows Vernon lets the older win on more occasions than once. 

This back and forth, however, was nowhere near ending, and Joshua had to step in. Deciding to finally end it, he turns around from his position and stretches, and the motion catches both their attention until they go silent, staring at him for a few seconds. The smile on Seungkwan's face counts as yet another victory. 

"What's going on?" The oldest in the room sits up, cracking his neck a little. It was oddly dim. Typically, Seungkwan would flip on a light when he was in here. 

"The power went off," explains Vernon, "And Seungkwan came in here to call me to his and Chan's room because they were apparently bored." 

Joshua smiles fondly. Of course all that commotion had to be made for such a miniscule thing. 

"And I also was concerned about Dokyeom hyung." Seungkwan blurts out, as if he was trying to repress those words, and Joshua nods in understanding. For being deemed the 'annoying brat' for multiple reasons, Seungkwan, Joshua quotes Jeonghan, had a heart bigger than his ass. Which, all members could agree, was very true. 

A few scuffles here and there, and Vernon is being dragged out the room in no time. Joshua, quickly forgetting about his lack of sleep, follows after them, entering the main area of the dorm where a few members walked around here and there.

For the most part, it was pretty late, so there weren't much people, but he could see Jihoon donning a jacket and Soonyoung frantically running around him also getting ready, whilst trying to seemingly convince him about something. Judging from experience, the loss of power affected Jihoon's equipment, and he's heading to the studio, determined to not let even the shortage of electricity stop him. And Soonyoung is trying to persuade him to not go, while also getting ready because he knows he's going to lose that argument. 

He'll damn well die trying, Joshua guesses. 

Also walking around, Wonwoo has a lighter in his hand, a few candles in the other, and he continues to walk around the living space, making sure to light only the candles that were either difficult to reach or impossible to knock over as an accident. God knows the last thing they needed to deal with right now was a fire starting because of Seventeen's fucking misfortune™.

"Seungcheol still up?" he asks the man, who pushes his glasses further up his nose in thought.

  
  
"Maybe. Most probably. I'll go check on him and bring him a candle, too." is all he says before leading himself into the door of the leader's room. 

Joshua nods, but he's already walking towards a different direction. The door he meets is plain and barren, but Joshua can imagine stickers on it, the kinds that were either glow in the dark, obnoxiously glittery, or holographic. He smiles to himself at the thought before softly knocking on the wood, and he doesn't need to hear a response to enter. 

"Joshy," comes Jeonghan's soft voice, and with how well Joshua knows him by now, he picks up the slight tilt that knows will lead to sarcasm. "Are you here to comfort me during my tale of woe?"

  
  
The American scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I'm not here to dote on you and hang off your every word. You have Seungcheol for that." 

A laugh bubbles, but it isn't from the man he's talking to. He turns to walk towards another figure on another bed, smiling fondly. He could already hear his heart doing cartwheels. (And Jeonghan's 'surprised' gasp)

"You know how that buffoon is," contrary to his words, Jeonghan's voice is fond. "He'll think about coming over here over and over before just succumbing to his needs. Which is, you know, to see yours truly." 

"Hi Seokminnie," Joshua quietly greets, kneeling by the bed to place butterfly kisses on the younger's nose, earning little giggles. He turns back to look at Jeonghan, "Maybe you should go over there yourself."

  
  
See, Joshua is a very observant person. He may not seem like it, but he is. Being one of the oldest in a group of thirteen has heightened his sensitivity and has made him into a more mature, understanding person so he can be the best hyung that he can for the younger kids. So when Jeonghan speaks after a very short pause, he knows why.

Maybe it's because he's known Jeonghan for as long as he can remember.

  
  
Maybe it's because he knows just how much Jeonghan truly loves Seungcheol though he pretends to be aloof sometimes.

Maybe it's because he knows just how long Jeonghan was in love with Seungcheol, even before they started dating. 

Or maybe it's because Joshua recalls the night Seungcheol left to go to his doctor's appointment. How Jeonghan unashamedly rushed to Joshua (and Vernon had left without asking any questions), and he emotionally broke down, scared of how Seungcheol was suffering and scared of not being enough to help the leader recover.

  
  
Joshua remembers doing a shit ton of research that night, and establishing little ways he could help bring up Seungcheol's confidence without rushing or forcing it. So he knows that this is one of those ways. By allowing Seungcheol to be the one to come to Jeonghan, it's a huge step and allows him to trust himself more. 

"He can't resist me." comes Jeonghan's stupid reply, but Joshua can't help but laugh, searching for Seokmin's hand and gripping it tight. 

"Okay then, we'll leave you to it~" he replies in a sing-song voice, eventually taking Seokmin from the bed and dragging him back to his room. He will never admit it, but he was eager to just take Seokmin and rush out of the room, already feeling the slight tremble in the boy's hands. 

Joshua doesn't only know everything about Jeonghan. He knows just as much about Seokmin too, and how he and the dark don't get along well. Which is why he makes sure to be there for the younger whenever the lights go off. 

Or sometimes, he's the reason for it. If you know what I mean. 

"You took forever." Joshua doesn't need to look back to practically hear the pout in Seokmin's voice as they made their way through their home. He squeezes his hand in apology. 

"I was asleep," he replies, and they're quickly heading to the Americans' shared room. "But Seungkwan came in not so long after I dozed off." 

They enter, and Seokmin's quick to shut the door, shivering at how cold the space was, forgetting how he and Jeonghan always kept their room at a regular temperature, whilst Joshua and Vernon for whatever reason felt the need to go all full blown fucking Antarctica. 

"Why didn't you come to _me_ sooner?" Joshua asks, just after the two get into bed and snuggle under the covers. Seokmin immediately wraps his arms around the older's waist, head burying in the crook of his neck. 

"Didn't wanna be here with Vernon seeing us." he replies rather shyly, and the older has to laugh. Seokmin wasn't one for PDA, especially in front of the members. A simple hug in itself makes him nervous, because as he explained before, he doesn't want to make them feel uncomfortable. 

"My sweet, precious Seokmin." Joshua coos, a hand coming up to stroke his hair in a slow and steady rhythm. "At least you're here now, mhm?" 

And as the younger's rigid body gets more and more relaxed, Joshua likes to think he himself isn't a very vain person. Sure, he's had achievements as an idol and as a celebrity, but he's not very narcissistic, and he barely remembers those kinds of materialistic awards.

There's only one thing he prides himself in; and that's making the otherwise scaredy-cat Lee Seokmin into the most fearless person in the world. 

"You're amazing." Joshua murmurs into the darkness, and he murmurs it with confidence. Like there's nothing else he's more proud of than this man in his arms. 

**Author's Note:**

> joshua's just vv proud of seokmin and we love that
> 
> also !! i've been thinking of writing abt junhao lately O-O


End file.
